Time
by Dark Winged Wolf
Summary: Time goes on a string, so slow at times that you feel as though you’ve lost your balance on reality. (Chapter Five is confusing and spooky.)
1. Chapter One

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Time goes on a string, so slow at times that you feel as though you've lost your balance on reality. That's how things go when you're uncertain of what the future has in store for you...and when fate tries to push it's way in....Everything that was and will be gets tangled up and thrown at you in a simplistic order. And this is what binds you to certain events, and perhaps, certain unexpected outcomes.

Chapter One:

Snow fell in thick sheets around Hogwarts castle, it was late in December and Christmas had come and gone. Just like always, the Weasleys were given sweets and each a knitted sweater, and each in different colors. Ron had gotten a maroon sweater with an R on it and the Gryffindor lion. Ginny, the youngest and only girl had gotten a blue one. As they were the last of the Weasley clan in the school, it made Christmas feel unhappy. They couldn't share their sweets with Fred and George, or show the Twins what else they had been given. They both settled for showing Harry and Hermione.

Breakfast the morning of the day after Christmas was drowned to a soft murmur of voices, as there weren't many students in the school, more then half had gone home for Christmas vacation. Ron decided, along with Hermione that they would be staying, since it was their last year. Harry was requested to stay by Dumbledore.

Hastily, Ginny sat down at Gryffindor table, dressed in a blue shirt and a pair of jeans. Ron looked thunderstruck that she hadn't worn her sweater. His maroon one peaked out from underneath his robes. Hermione smirked at Harry's side, who returned a somewhat nervous smile. Ginny smiled crossly and buttered a piece of toast. While chewing it, her eyes strayed to the table on the other side of the room. Someone caught her eye, or rather accidentally stumbled into his eye view.

He was a Slytherin and the only one who irritated all the Gryffindors so much so that Harry and Ginny's older brother had beat the crap out of him after a Quidditch game. He was still very sour toward them because of it. But for some reason, these days he didn't bother Ginny very much. His stare was fixated on her for quite some time, before someone pulled those gray eyes away from her.

Shrill laughter filled the air and Ginny's eyes strayed to Pansy Parkinson. She was in love with Draco and was constantly trying to get him to want her. Fat chance. She was the type of person who thought she was brought up from royalty, because she had always gotten what she wanted...until it came to Draco.

Ginny got up so suddenly that her plate and goblet fell to the floor. All eyes were on her as she scurried out of the Hall and went outside into the fresh morning air. The breeze nipped gently at her face, while wrapping her long red hair around her neck. She brushed it away and took a seat by the lake. The grounds near the Quidditch Pitch were deserted. She settled herself against the oak tree that overlooked the lake, and shut her eyes.

Distorted images skittered across her mind and she let out a yelp as a hand clamped around her shoulder. She saw the pale skin and knew exactly who had a grip on her. But she didn't know why.

"What are you doing?" She hissed at him, as he uncoiled from her and sat down next to her, after stretching a bit and stared at her intently.

"You were acting strange. I had to stop you, it would have been bad for my image if I'd had a crazy person next to me." He sneered at her, flicking a strand on blond hair away from his cold gray eyes.

"Bad for your image? Give me a break..." She snorted at him, as the shadows continued to dance around in her mind, causing her to take hold of her head slowly. A moan trembled from her lips and she leaned against the tree breathing deeply. And the last thing she saw before she fainted was his eyes, looking terribly distraught.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two:

"Weasley?" He prodded her, as she lay against the tree, her face ghostly pale, eyes open but unseeing.

"Hey..." He whispered, knowing that she was too far away to hear him.

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He's witnessed my breakdown...the only eyes that ever caught me...

The creatures inside her head made a shrieking sound that made her scream. It rang in her ears and by the looks of it, it had reached his as well.

"Weasley...?" He choked out as she had begun to cough up blood onto her hand. His eyes strayed to hers; fearful and dark. His own were full of confusion.

Suddenly he did something stupid. He scooped her up in his arms, letting her head hit his arm as he held her under the back on her knees and walked toward the castle. He grimaced every time her hair tickled his hips, he was afraid he'd drop her. Something in his mind was telling him that this was what he needed to do...for it would produce something greater ahead.

He didn't know what to tell the nurse, but she asked him to stay with Ginny, and he nodded as she swept from the room. He leaned back in the chair by her bed and stared at this girl. Pale skin, accompanied by freckles and red flaming hair. She wasn't such a bother to him, as much as he thought she would be.

"What's happened to you? You seem much more out of control now. You don't care about the detentions you get..." It sounded funny, talking to her with her eyes shut tightly, like she was trying to block out everyone and everything.

"You'd be surprised how much I do care." said a raspy voice as he looked away. Ginny sat up, looking groggy at him. Her fingers immediately flew to her head. Now she gripped it with both hands and rocked back and forth slowly. It startled him, so much so that he sat forward and grabbed one of her hands and held it tightly.

"What's happening to you?"

"My head...they thrive around in my mind. They hurt me...make me do things."

He blinked, and tried desperately to make her words register in his mind. He didn't like the feeling that had settled itself so nicely in his stomach.

"What things?"

"Don't know..."

"Y-yes you do." He shook his head. Something irked him terribly about this girl. Something that he feared would be the worst thing that she could possibly go through. And now he was going down with her...he sat next to her. He witnessed this unusual breakdown. Now he was stuck.

"Monsters...creatures...hooded men." Draco sat up so straight that he dragged her up slightly with him. She looked at him, still so afraid.

Death Eaters in her mind? She frowned, seeming to read his thoughts and expression.

"Not Death Eater...I don't-I don't know what they are." For the first time in years, he saw her lips curve upward.

"Did I frighten you?"

"No..."

"Liar."

"Well, yes...if you must know. I didn't know what to do."

"Apparently you did, if you brought me here. I'm sorry Draco."

"What did you say?"

"Draco..."

"It sounds pretty coming from you." He watched as her cheeks steadily grew pink, and she looked away. When she stared back at him, he felt his stomach twist in an odd way. Her large brown eyes filled with a new emotion, as she reached for his hand and laced their fingers together. And she spoke the phrase that he had never heard directed toward him. It made him smile lightly.

"You saved my life."


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three:

His eyes widened slightly at her words and a wavering smile set on his lips. Suddenly he was frowning at her, with this odd look in his eyes. For some reason, he yearned to reach out and touch her cheek...tangle his fingers through her silky hair.

"Has it stopped?"

"For the time being..."

"You've stopped holding your head...that's a good sign."

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Help me..."

"I-well..." He couldn't exactly answer her, because he wasn't sure of the real reason he tried to help her. He tried to form the words in his mind but all that floated across it was one word.

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Need.

She didn't smile after that day. He saw it everyday in Potions. She'd mess up on something and she just frowned, so deeply. Even as Harry and Hermione tried to help her with something at lunch, and they laughed for some reason. She didn't. She seemed to be losing touch with reality each day. That's why he was startled one day when someone tapped on his door that led to his dorm. He opened it to find a most disheveled and scared redhead.

"I needed to see you...please..." She looked horrible; pale and he noticed her arms looked strange. He nodded slowly and ushered her inside. He grabbed a washcloth from the bathroom as she took a seat on his bed. He didn't ask how she had gotten in the common room. That was of the most unimportance now.

"What's going on?" He asked. This friendship with her was unexpected but oddly comforting. He wanted to touch her, to comfort her...but his mind was focused on helping her.

Slowly she raised her arms to his eye view. Gray orbs of new emotion widened slightly, his lips looked slightly colorless. The paleness of her arms was only now noticed because of the faint lines of red across her wrists.

"You've...?"

"I can't get them out of my head."

"So this is your solution?" He asked, a bit angry. Then he frowned when she suddenly started to weep openly. She curled into a ball and edged away from him before he could speak. She bolted off the bed and sat in the corner, where the shadows enslaved her.

"Ginny...? Please...let me help you." His voice was soft and filled with an emotion he didn't like. He slipped off the bed and steadily drew nearer to her form. As though to protect herself, she curled tighter, her knees brought up to her chest, and her hands covering her head as she swayed. He knelt down.

"You've got to get some help...after the other day, I-I'm afraid for you." He blinked as she finally raised her eyes to his. Fear and pain played into his eyes as he stared at her. One quick movement had set him to the floor as he stared up now at the fragile crying redhead burying herself into his chest.

He sat up, taking her with him, as she curled against his stomach. Once more that week he picked her up and put her on his bed. She turned her back on him. He frowned. Finally, his fingers drew into her hair and twirled one piece. Suddenly she turned back to him, her eyes searching his. When she found was she wanted she shot forward and caught his lips in a most unexpected but longing kiss.

He caught the kiss off guard and grunted as she pulled him down on her, shifting slightly as she let her tongue swirl around inside his mouth. She could feel him shudder before he pulled away.

"W-what are you doing?" He looked blankly at her for a moment before wiping her taste off of his lips with the back of his right hand.

"I just thought..."

"You thought I wanted you to kiss me?"

"Well...yes."

"You're not too far off then." Her eyes widened slightly as he bent his head down and caught her lips in the most enjoyable, sensational kiss that she had ever had. His fingers danced across her bare shoulders. Something told him that this was wrong, but he couldn't seem to care. Everything was fuzzy as she moaned and arched her back.

He tore his lips with great effort away from hers and moaned to taunt her neck with his lips and teeth. He growled against her skin as she clawed his shoulder, he could feel the sticky blood trickling down his elbow. She giggled lightly as his teeth played with her collarbone now. And she relaxed...

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It bit down tenderly on her and then began to rip. Eyes of a monster, claws of a beast...they tore at her and she didn't scream. She had learned not to. Even though she was dying.

The scream sent her love away from her, leaving her body cold. He stumbled off of the bed and hit the floor. Shaking his head he staggered back up as quickly as possible and crawled to her side. Her eyes were unblinking and somehow, there was blood trickling down her cheek.

"How did that..?"

"I died." She muttered, staring straight ahead, as though she were in a trance. Her eyes unfocused as she sat very still.

What had become of her in the last day? What had those...those things done to her? How had she died when she was sitting directly next to him? He watched as her hands started to tremble on her lap, and still she never blinked. Her skin seemed like porcelain underneath mounds of red hair and her lips have lost all their color. Suddenly he felt something on his hand. He stared at her.

A teardrop.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four:

"What happened?"

She was on her side, his arms slowly coiled around her, in a protective soothing sort of manner. He was whispering things to her, but she could barely make out his words.

"You-well...I don't exactly know. You went all rigid and started crying."

"Did I say anything?"

"Yeah...but it didn't make much sense."

"What'd I say?"

"You said...you said that you died."

"That's absurd, I'm right here!"

"I know...maybe-maybe we should go to Dumbledore."

"No!" She said rather too quickly for his liking. He knew that the Headmaster could help her, he _had_ to help her.

"Ginny...please, be reasonable. We don't know what it is we're dealing with!"

"I do!" She cried, tearing away from him abruptly, causing the bed to shake slightly. She slithered away from him and barricaded herself in his bathroom and refused to come out.

He opened his eyes a bit later, obviously having fell asleep, he shifted slightly and bumped into something. His eyes widened as what little light in the room reached the slumbering figure to his right.

Gently he watched her sleep, pale skin bruised with red lines as her hand slides under her pillow again. Her red hair was curly at the ends, which raced down to her elbows, pink lips parted slightly and her breathing was shallow. His eyes drifted to her body; she wore a black silk nightgown...it suited her well. Sexy lingerie really did Ginny Weasley good. That alone, changed who she was. _Man her _brother_ would kill me if he saw this._ He smirked as she stirred, and her hips grind into his. He didn't realize she was this close. The straps of her gown fall off her pale smooth shoulders and he couldn't help but love her; for everything she is and for the way she's risking it all by being with him.

"I'll protect you." He whispered and kisses her temple. So soft. Then he realizes that the light is from the fireplace. He mutters a spell and points his wand at the flames, they die down instantly and the room is in complete darkness. It's almost soothing. He settles back down and turns his back on his love, whom suddenly drapes her clean arm over his chest.

And he slept, a smile flickered on his lips as the night crawled on.

His fingers trace the lines of nothing as he arises that morning. She has already left. Frowning he pulls his trousers back on and grabs a black button down shirt, combs his hair and brushes his teeth and sets off for the Great Hall for breakfast.

He slides into the Slytherin table just as he always does. Parkinson is jabbering on his left, and he smirks tightly at her before ignoring her. His gray eyes scan the Hall, they fall on Potter and his mouth twitches and he sneers. Harry sees and narrows his eyes in return, as does Weasley. His eyes sweep over the Gryffindor table, but he only finds one Weasley, Ron. Where is she? He shakes his head and gets up. Beyond shuffling past them he heards Granger speak. He stops.

"-She's never be this upset before...she won't come out of our dorm. She only appeared there this morning. I wonder where she was all night?"

"-So do I..." Weasley said and Potter gave a nod.

This couldn't be very good, Draco knew. And so he set off toward Gryffindor Tower, how he'd get in he didn't know. But passing by the giant window gave him view to the lake and something else. Something horrible.

She was in the water, knee deep and still walking. It didn't take her long to become distant. He tore out of the oak doors and skidded on a patch of muddy grass. He hit the ground hard, and felt the earth tremble beneath hi as he got up and ran toward the lake.

"Ginny!" He called, his voice rising with panic. Once he had reached the edge of the lake, he saw her. She was stopped a ways out, and she turned her head slightly and smiled at him.

"This is the only way I can stop them..." Was her reply to his cry to save her. He stepped into the water, determined to save her at any cost. It was freezing.

"No...no we can beat them...together." He offered his hand, his fingers outstretched and pleading. Suddenly things turned dark and cold.

"_We _will not allow you to interfere."

It was Ginny who spoke, but it wasn't. The voice was horribly mean and sounded murderous and male.

"G-Ginny?" Full of fear.

"_We_ will not let you interfere." It repeated again. Ginny's eyes glowed a light yellow, as the coldness died.

Ginny gasped and sunk to her knees in the water, Draco caught her before she could go under. He picked her up and held her close to his body for heat. He coughed and damn near dropped her, as he trudged through the halls. The person that stopped him, wasn't whom he expected at all.

"What's happened? I heard shouting outside. Mr. Malfoy-what are you doing with her?"

"Professor...she's in trouble. I-I've been taking care of her for a while now and I just don't know what to do anymore. This things keep thriving around in her brain, making her do things."

"I know." Professor Snape nodded lightly, and Draco almost detected a frown.

"You-what?"

"We all knew. The Headmaster said this might occur after Riddle her first year."

So, this is what all the secrecy was about? He shook his head, refusing to believe any of this. How could she be going through this and they knew?

"Mr. Malfoy!" He kept walking.

"Draco!" He ran, he didn't know where he just needed to save her...to get away from this hell.


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five:

"They won't be able to hurt you..." He was positive the reason that none of them told Ginny was because...they didn't want her to get better. Though it seemed absurd, he was thoroughly convinced that they were tired of protecting her and did it under false pretenses every year.

He had taken her where nobody would find them. To the Shrieking Shack. Though he was breaking a dozen school rules, as of being out in hogsmeade on a non-visiting day. He didn't care, he needed to save her, himself. She shuddered as he lay her on the dusty bed on the final floor.

Scanning the room, he knew that nothing was very stable. He breathed out a sigh and sat down next to her, slowly dabbing her face with a warm washcloth. Again she stirred but didn't wake up.

"I wish you could tell me how to save you..." He whispered as the water dripped down her nose, which she wriggled in response. So, she was half conscious? Good sign.

Suddenly she coughed and spit up some blood. She sat up, choking and sputtering. It hurt to breathe. Hurt so badly that she felt as though her throat closed up slowly. And then she screamed, sending him to cover his ears and the walls to echo the noise.

"Ginny! Stop! It's okay! GINNY!" He shouted as she had begun to sway and cry, and dig her nails into her head.

"STOP IT!" She shouted, and Draco blinked at her after everything settled down, so to speak.

It wasn't until the atmosphere got cold again that Draco's senses prickled and he turned to the door. Grotesque creatures stood; tongues lolling, jaws bared, deep gray rubbery skin and eyes like fire. They were hunched over, their back muscles cracked each time they moved.

Next came the monsters that Ginny told him about. Greenish gray with scars on their contorted faces. Fangs as sharp as daggers bared out at Draco, as Ginny sat looking oddly calm. Her hands were at her side, her eyes again unfocused.

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"Master...Master, it is?" One of the creatures spoke, barely moving it's strange looking mouth, it's voice raspy and horrible. Just like the one Draco had heard a few hours before. He stared at Ginny, who smiled cruelly.

"It's been a long time..." Ginny replied, her smile grew more twisted as she stared at Draco. Her eyes burning red to match her hair. Her skin seemed to be changing right before his eyes; no longer pale, but slightly dark around her eyes.

He had the impulse to run, but his feet wouldn't move. He didn't know what the hell was going on...but he had a clue. And it terrified him. He went to reach for his wand but something cut his arm and he winced.

"Now we can't have that...after all...you're the sacrifice." Ginny smiled smugly and gripped Draco's chin, which cut him. Her nails seemed to grow like a werewolves in minutes. He felt the blood drip from both sides and her tongue darted to catch it. His eyes widened in fear as she did this.

"I always knew you had bad blood..."

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"Master?...Now? Let him die...need, want...feed."

The creatures danced in the shadows around them; a demon child and a helpless boy.

"I'm the sacrifice? But..."

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"You is not to speak to Master like that! She will rip you limb from limb, Slytherin. Lucius Malfoy will be along shortly. He is she's Master." The monster sounded much more like a human. But...what did his father have to do with this?

"Daddy is a part of this too. Oh, a great part. He is the one who planned this. Your precious little Ginny is no more." The thing that used to be his girlfriend hissed violently at him. It's eyes getting darker, until it's face was black. Draco watched in indescribable horror as her hair vanished, and her back shot out. She hunched. She was becoming...one of those creatures.

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"Daddy did loves you snake...but I is now his favorite." The thing spoke like a house elf, but looked like some type of new formed werewolf.

There was a murmur of agreement, in which Draco stepped back a bit. Something lunged out and grabbed him, he howled and was restrained.

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"Master will not be pleased, he will not at all. He will eats your soul...you will never sees little Ginny again."

"Never."

"Again." Each of the abnormalities spoke to him. He shut his eyes. This was all just a horrible nightmare.

"This is no nightmare boy." came the drawling cold voice of his father. Opening his eyes he saw his father; blond hair tied back, donned in black and holding his black cane with the serpent head top.

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"Master...looks at her!" One of the monsters growled excitedly as Ginny, or what used to be her slopped over to him.

"See what happens when you go against us? We turn your little witch into something truly terrible. If you want her...you will join us."

Draco struggled against his captor and flung himself beside the bed and pointed his wand at all of them in turn.

"Crucio!" He shouted, and the spell spouted from his wand and hit the two monsters and creatures until his father and the Ginny thing stood.

"Will you kill her?"

"Tell me what's happened!"

His father laughed smugly and sneered at his son. His eyes glistening horribly. Suddenly Lucius raised his wand and muttered, "Avada Kedavra!" The spell shot from his wand and Draco dodged it, stumbling into an old drawer.

Gritting his teeth he pointed his own wand at his father. Just then the new monster came out of nowhere, baring it's fangs. Draco screamed.

"KILL HIM!" Lucius Malfoy shouted, before rounding on the door before him. There stood a terrified looking Snape, and a furious Dumbledore.

"You will not!" The Headmaster shouted, as Snape strode across the room and shot the creature in the back.

"No! That's Ginny!"

"Weasley?" Snape looked blankly as Draco nodded.

There was no time to explain, lives were at stake. More then one now. Snape helped Draco drag the unconscious creature out of sight and reappeared moments later to find the wall to the right blown out, exposing a village of terrified citizens.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know! I brought Ginny here and those creatures appeared, called her master and she started to transform. She said I was a sacrifice..."

He pointed to the dark clumps on the floor, and Snape understood, partly.

Suddenly he seized Draco's arm and yanked him down as a spell shot toward them.

And then there was silence. It was the most deafening silence that one could hear. Both men looked up and saw Professor Dumbledore standing over Mr. Malfoy.

"It's all right...he's dead." Lucius Malfoy lay crumpled on the floor, his mouth open, eyes white and blood around his head. And next to him lay Ginny...still as stone.

"Gin?" Draco started but Dumbledore stopped him with a grave look.

"She got caught between the spells, just as she was changing back. Lucius had cast a spell on her to change into some type of creature and kill you. We knew about it since after Miss Weasley's first year. But this year, everything spiraled out of control..."

"Because of you..." Snape said, and Draco stared at him, clearly not understanding.

"She was never supposed to get tangled in your life. But in the end the two of you would have died. She, after she killed you. Lucius needed a sacrifice to impress the Dark Lord. We're all sorry this happened the way that it did. No one intended for it too. Those creatures were just poor souls that disobeyed him."

Again he ran, but this time back to the castle and toward the lake. She was dead. His life was slowly fading as the water froze his ankles, the his waist, his neck, and then he went under. He breathed in the cold water that froze his lungs.

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Time goes on a string, so slow at times that you feel as though you've lost your balance on reality. That's how things go when you're uncertain of what the future has in store for you...and when fate tries to push it's way in....Everything that was and will be gets tangled up and thrown at you in a simplistic order. And this is what binds you to certain events, and perhaps, certain unexpected outcomes.


End file.
